Memories in the Rain
by ina-meishou
Summary: Thinking on the past under a grey sky.


The rain poured out of the grey sky.

She didn't feel it as it soaked her tattered blond hair.

Even if shinobi weren't trained to all but ignore physical discomfort, she was too preoccupied with her thoughts.

She stared at the stone with dry eyes as the heavens themselves wept…

It wasn't uncommon for shinobi to keep unofficial relationships under the radar. So there was almost now surprise when they announced their engagement.

What was surprising was the fact that not even the Hokage's intelligence squad, dedicated to watching the young man, had any hint of the two before hand.

Shortly after that, both of the young Ninja "retired", to raise a family.

And two new files suddenly popped up in the Black Opps headquarters.

And so life went on for the small family of two, which soon grew, until at last they requested to be put on inactive status, and left on a trip around the world to raise their children.

It was years before the large family of six returned, with three of the blond headed children jumping to the front of their academy class.

And then tragedy struck.

War broke out, as treaties were broken, and the family was torn apart as all inactive ninja were called back to active duty.

Through it all, his grin bound them together, turning those rare moments they had together into something special, a moment to forget the endless missions.

Then the unthinkable happened.

Orochimaru finally made his move.

As a massive Army marched towards Konoha, Plans were finalized, and something almost unheard of was decided.

Naruto, Konohas best stealth operative, was sent to the front lines.

The very thing that had led the village to curse him, the Kyuubi, was now put forward as the only hope the village had.

Needless to say, he accepted the assignment.

As the Sound army, the vanguard alone hundreds strong, approached Konoha, they were met by a small force of Leaf nin.

And at the front was a whirlwind of fire; Orange and yellow blurring under a blazing red aura.

The sound Shinobi fell like leaves before a storm.

The attendance at his funeral was tiny; Just his friends and family.

She understood the reason. After the rout of the Sound, Countries had fallen over themselves to sign treaties with the leaf.

If Anyone knew that the only reason the leaf had survived had incinerated himself in the process, the new peace might be threatened.

Half an hour after his name was engraved on the stone, Sakura left, The Last of the Uchiha had been captured in the battle, and she was the one chosen to look after him.

One hour after the Funeral, the Hokage reluctantly let herself be dragged away to her desk.

Three hours after the last words were said, His children left. They had to help with the reconstruction.

Iruka never left, he to died in the battle, his name was just above that of his surrogate son.

Ino stood there for hours, trying to force herself to cry.

It had been ages since she last cried. When they were young and naïve, she had been to cheerful, to caught up in his smile.

And once they joined the Black Opps, she had seen so much death she had forgotten how it was supposed to feel.

She sat there all night, staring at his name. She sat through the grey dawn, the sun rising on a world covered in clouds

The rain poured out of the grey sky.

She didn't feel it as it soaked her tattered blond hair.

Even if shinobi weren't trained to all but ignore physical discomfort, she was too preoccupied with her thoughts.

She stared at the stone with dry eyes as the heavens themselves wept for the loss of such a true spirit.

She watched as a drop hit the apex of the stone, watched as it ran down past the hundreds of names that had been put there long before she was born.

She watched as it slid passed the names she had grown up with.

_Rock Lee…_ who had died defending the academy students.

_Akimichi Chouji..._ who had died holding the gate against the second wave of the sound.

_Nara_ _Shikamaru…w_ho had been lost when a sapper hit the field head quarters.

_Umino Iruka_... who had died helping civilians escape into the shelters.

And finally…

_Uzumaki Naruto (Honorary Hokage) _


End file.
